The present invention pertains to an apparatus employed to facilitate painting-type tasks, and, in particular, to an apparatus for holding a container such as a can of paint during such tasks.
When painting or staining a room or structure, a painter, whether a professional or a do-it-yourselfer, typically has to lug around the room a can which contains the material, such as paint or stain, which is being applied. While in some instances a painter can set the paint can down during painting, in other situations, such as during the task of touching up numerous small areas which are scattered around a room, a painter may desire to hold the can during painting.
To facilitate their transport and holding by a user, conventional paint cans are generally equipped with a semicircular metal wire handle. The handle is pivotally connected at its respective ends to diametrically opposed outside surfaces of the paint can. The pivotal handle connection allows the handle to be pivoted between an upright position arranged above the can lid, and a swung down or storage position arranged against the side of the can.
Manually holding a paint can by its provided handle during painting operations is problematic in a variety of respects. When a paint can is held in a more conventional carrying fashion wherein the handle is oriented in the upright position and supported by the curled fingers of a user, the handle may interfere with the dipping of an applicator or brush into the paint and may contribute to messes being created. Holding the handle in this manner is also fatiguing and uncomfortable for a painter, as the slender, wire handle provides considerable localized stress on a user's curled fingers, especially when the paint can is full.
To provide better access to a manually held paint can, a painter can rotate the handle downward from the upright position to near its storage position, and then curl his/her thumb of one hand over the handle and support the underside of the paint can with the fingers of that hand. However, this can holding technique is also fatiguing and uncomfortable, as over time the handle may press forcefully into the flesh of the painter's thumb.
Thus, it would be desireable to provide an apparatus which allows a person to readily carry a paint can or similar container in a comfortable manner, but which at the same time does not unduly interfere with the accessing of the contents of the can.